Agra: The Agra Police on Friday caught four people who were cheating others by selling fake gold across different states. The police arrested three men and one woman on Thursday who had stolen around ₹22 lakh from many people. The group included Dharmendra (also known as Dharma), Suraj, Shankar, and a woman.
They lived in a rented house in Meerut but travelled to other cities to cheat people. The gang has admitted to cheating people in several states including Assam, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
"They would approach innocent people and tell them they had found gold bricks while digging. To win trust, they would show real gold pieces for testing. Once the victim was convinced, they would take the money and give fake gold in return," said police officer Aditya Kumar. The police found 2 kg of fake gold and ₹3.78 lakh in cash from the group.
According to Inspector Alok Kumar of Hariparvat police station, the gang has admitted to cheating six different people in Agra. The group used mobile phone SIM cards obtained with fake ID cards to avoid being caught. The police are now looking for the people who helped them get these fake SIM cards.
"They would stay in Meerut but travel to other states to find new victims," said Alok Kumar. The police have warned people to be careful about deals offering gold at very low prices. If anyone comes across such offers, they should immediately inform the police.
The investigation is still going on as the police try to find more victims and recover the stolen money.
